It was not completely dark yet, and the bonfire built with half-dried wood brought up blue-gray smoke. More than a dozen men wielded engineering shovels to add the last soil to the huge new grave, and used shovels to pound the upper and lower sides tightly. After returning to An Yi, they dispersed
Go, strip naked in twos and threes, walk down to the river to bathe and wash clothes, and then hang them on a small bush to let the night breeze blow dry.
Zhang Chengzhu knelt down on one leg in front of the wordless tombstone erected on a smooth stone slab, muttering something in his mouth, as if calling out the soul of his brother who had not yet left. Beard took out three cigarettes, lit them and silently inserted them in front of the tombstone as a substitute for sacrificial incense candles.
Yi whispered a few words to Yin Jinan who came to his side, and Yin Jinan nodded and went to make arrangements.
Zhang Chengzhu stood up and slowly raised his head, looking sadly to the north across the mountains in front of him. He let out a long breath, walked down the river, washed randomly for a while, returned to the bonfire beside the new grave, and carefully looked at the busy activities in the camp.
Soldiers with an orderly division of labor, and then look at a few soldiers who led their well-fed horses to the river to drink water. They sat on the grass and asked for a cigarette from the beard, and picked up a crackling and burning twig.
Go up, take a deep breath and exhale a long stream of smoke, as if you want to spit out all the sadness and troubles in your heart.
After a while, Lao Hantou brought a copper basin filled with large pieces of horse meat and placed it among the three people who said nothing. Yin Jinan shouted a few times, ordered the brothers to start eating, and joined the three of them.
"You seem to have people from all over the country in your team. Is this guy from Hebei too?" Zhang Chengzhu broke the silence and looked at Yin Jinan.
Yin Jinan stopped tearing open the cigarette package and nodded politely to Zhang Chengzhu: "My younger brother's surname is Yin Jinan. He is from Jizhou. He serves as the instructor of the brothers. Like Brother An, he graduated from the fourth phase of Whampoa Military Academy...Brother Zhang, please, please
Feel free to use it. Brother Li, who injured his right arm, woke up a long time ago and has already settled down. He has been splinted and given medicine. After he has rested for a while, he will be given some meat porridge. It’s just that Brother Zhang’s BMWs are out of energy.
You know, I can only make do with the grass, the horse grass by the river is passable."
"Brother, have you ever raised horses?" Zhang Chengzhu asked.
Yin Jinan smiled modestly: "When I was young, I often accompanied my old man to herd horses for the rich families in the town. You will know better after seeing them more. When I saw Brother Zhang's horses just now, I thought they were top-grade ones on the grasslands north of Zhangjiakou.
He is twice as tall as our dozen or so pack horses, and his spirit is completely different. Only the elites of the northern army are worthy of it!"
Zhang Chengzhu saw that Yin Jinan knew about horses, and then looked at the beard of the equestrian instructor who was just smoking. He sighed inwardly. Under An Yi's warm greeting, he took a large piece of sauce-boiled horse meat and took a bite, saying "it tastes good", and then
He chewed it unceremoniously, obviously he was starving after hiding around for several days.
The four people moved their cheeks and quickly destroyed half of the plate of horse meat. Old Hantou brought four more bowls of rice porridge made from horse bones, and they were all drank up in the blink of an eye.
Old Hantou who put away the copper plate smiled brightly. The brothers in the cooking class were recognized by the superiors for their skills as a sign of appreciation for his work. He quickly collected the iron bowls and left in a hurry, without waiting for the four bosses to wipe their mouths and start again.
Four large bowls of oily hot tea were brought.
"The guys are very considerate and even prepared hot tea, which is good."
Zhang Chengzhu felt relieved after having a full stomach. He picked up the tea bowl, blew on the air and took a big sip, smacking his lips happily, and said with emotion: "I haven't had a cup of hot tea in more than half a month!"
An Yi smiled and said, "Brother Zhang has been in the military for many years, right?"
Zhang Chengzhu smiled slightly: "Eight years ago, I graduated from the Cavalry Department of Baoding Military Academy. I joined Marshal Wu's army and worked as a trainee platoon leader until now. At the beginning of this year, I was still fighting Zhang Zuolin's Fengjun on the front line of Shanhaiguan. A few months ago, we were fighting directly.
Seeing that the general situation in the world was wrong, the Feng and Feng armies quickly reconciled and besieged Feng Yuxiang's northwest army together, who was shouting for revolution. As soon as the capricious Feng Yuxiang was driven out of the front line in Suiyuan, Hebei, I was transferred over and led two men as the commander of the cavalry regiment.
The brothers of the company took the lead in providing support and rushed to Ye Kaixin's headquarters in Yuezhou, northern Hunan. They assisted the friendly forces in moving south and drove the little division commander Tang Shengzhi out of Changsha and then all the way out of Hengyang. Because the Xiangjiang River line was densely covered with water networks and there were too many mountains, it was impossible to take advantage of the cavalry.
, so Ye Kaixin did not give me enough men, and he did not want me to grow in his territory, so I had to take the position of battalion commander and assist. Before Li Zongren's Seventh Army of the Guangxi Army entered Hunan to support Tang Shengzhi, I suggested
Ye Kaixin did not adopt the idea of attacking head-on and not passively defending. When the Fourth Army of the Guangdong Army came from northern Hunan and Guangdong, I suggested that he join forces with Marshal Sun of Jiangxi to block the attack, but he did not listen. After your coalition occupied Hengyang and forced Changsha,
I felt that the situation in Hunan was in danger, and I repeatedly suggested that he blow up all the bridges to buy time for our Marshal Wu and his troops to go south. However, this pedantic Ye Kaixin did not dare to do it until more than 40,000 coalition forces besieged Changsha and could not hold it. He suddenly found me and asked me to lead
Our headquarters blew up the bridge, but I still obeyed the order even though I knew the situation was over. I led my brothers from two companies to go out day and night, and successfully passed through the junction of your Seventh Army and Fourth Army. In ten minutes, I wiped out two men from Tang Shengzhi's troops who were defending the Hengnan Iron Bridge.
Company, but when the explosives were being laid, a seven-car train arrived just in time, with two of your regiments going north on it. After a fierce battle, they still failed to blow up the bridge. Tang Shengzhi's support troops from the north also arrived, and they were desperate.
I had no choice but to lead the remaining brothers to break out of the encirclement and flee all the way south. I had been avoiding the pursuers for several days. I just got rid of the pursuers at noon this day. I was planning to go south for dozens of miles and then escape eastward into Jiangxi to find Marshal Sun.
Please help me, I finally met you."
An Yi and the other three looked at each other. In order to pass the boring time at night, the three of them often got together to discuss some battle tactics. The research and summary of each battle in the two Eastern Expeditions was very comprehensive. Yin Jinan recorded enough information for this purpose.
There are three major branches. Since entering Hunan, the three of them have been analyzing and predicting the situation between the enemy and ourselves from time to time. They have used the intelligence provided by their superiors and brothers from various departments who have led troops around to compile them. When they are happy, they often quarrel. I will defend you and you will attack.
The mutual switching of identities has allowed the three people who already had a certain foundation to make rapid progress invisibly. After listening to Zhang Chengzhu's words just now, the three of them realized that there were many aspects that they had never thought about. If Ye Kaixin really accepted Zhang Chengzhu's opinion...
Action, let alone the grand strategy of taking the initiative to resist the enemy outside Xiaoxiang, just blowing up the main bridges will cause the revolutionary army a huge headache. Not to mention that the march of the army will be blocked, and the artillery, baggage and supplies will not be able to be transported to the front line in time.
One way is to put the outnumbered revolutionary army units under the enemy's superior force. How could Changsha be captured so smoothly?
Zhang Chengzhu saw the young three people in a daze for a moment and began to discuss. He found it interesting and smoked a cigarette to listen. This listening lasted for more than half an hour. He was surprised to find that An Yi's brain was super fast, and the countermeasures he came up with were often unexpected, especially
The local response is full of tricks, and the clever combination of various tactics is jaw-dropping. Not to mention whether it is feasible, whether it is right or wrong needs further study and evaluation, but An Yi's bloodiness and wit still make Zhang Chengzhu
He was filled with admiration; Yin Jinan, whose face was still childish, was steady and calculating, and quickly calculated the troop deployment, marching speed and even firepower configuration for various actions proposed by An Yi; Hu Jialin, who was in his twenties, was speechless.
Many, every time they opened their mouths, they would always use surprise tactics to attack the weak points. The three of them complemented each other with their words and confirmed each other. It seemed that a small battle was unfolding right in front of Zhang Chengzhu. Why didn't he be deeply surprised?
After the dispute between the three of them was over, Yin Jinan raised his head and smiled sheepishly at Zhang Chengzhu and offered a cigarette. Zhang Chengzhu took the cigarette and said in a low voice: "It seems that Mr. Huangpu is not a person in vain! Brothers, you just said that your company
It is an engineer company that has been in the army for less than three months, but I don't think it looks like it. In addition to being equipped with a lot of engineer equipment, your weapon configuration is better than many infantry I have seen. If you are equipped with a few light and heavy machine guns, say
It is an elite reinforced company, no one believes it, and the three brothers’ strategy and troop leadership abilities far exceed my original estimates. The number of brothers they lead is almost two companies, can you tell me the reason for this?"
"Haha! No problem. Although we were enemies just now, my three brothers and Brother Zhang all felt like old friends at first sight. Besides, Brother Zhang is also a fellow villager of Huzi and Jinan, haha..."
An Yi once again showed his generous and loyal side, detailing the origins of the three of him, the establishment of this company, and how they ended up here. Finally, he smiled at Zhang Chengzhu who sighed frequently:
"Brother Zhang, if you had not been ordered to lead your troops to blow up the bridge in the face of danger, we would not have met today. Just like what you said shortly after dismounting, it is God's will that we meet thousands of miles apart, haha... Anyway, Brother Zhang has become us now
The three brothers’ friends will be leaving soon, so what do we have to hide about this trivial matter?”
Zhang Chengzhu nodded frequently, looked at the three mature young men and asked with a smile: "It's very difficult for you to go here. If you want to defeat our more than 200,000 elite direct troops who occupy a favorable position with 120,000 to 30,000 troops gathered in a hurry,
, are you sure?"
Yin Jinan shook his head: "It is indeed very difficult, but we are confident that as long as we do not spread our forces too thinly, we may be able to break through a little, and then the whole army can advance in one go. The biggest reliance is on two points: First, we are a revolutionary army and represent the great revolution.
It is in the interest of the majority of the people that a well-known division must have a lot of help; secondly, the Northern Army is not good at fighting in the southern region where water networks are covered with undulating mountains, and its firepower advantage and speed of action will be greatly restricted. These two points may allow our revolutionary army to offset
Your superiority, inspired by strong morale and belief, finally defeated you and led to victory."
"It makes sense...what do you think, brother Xiaoyi?" Zhang Chengzhu looked at An Yi calmly.
An Yi lit a cigarette and raised his confident head: "The newspaper said that General Li Zongren, the commander-in-chief of the Seventh Army of the Guangxi Army, made bold claims that as long as he captured Changsha, he would be able to plant the battle flag on the top of Wuchang City in one go. Although I don't agree with this statement.
I am a bit worried, but I firmly believe that Commander Wu Peifu will definitely fail, and before the end of the year, no matter how many troops he has, no matter how good the weapons are, it will be useless, because he does not have the support of the people! Haha, Brother Zhang, don’t laugh at me.
Arrogant, I always feel that I will meet Brother Zhang again in this life, maybe in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, maybe in Henan, Shandong or Beijing. As long as we fight all the way, who can guarantee that we will not have the chance to meet again? It’s just that I don’t want to be in Nanchang or Jiangxi
It’s too early to meet Brother Zhang. The three of our brothers are still lieutenants. If I see you, I have to salute. Isn’t it worth it? Haha..."
Such heroic words deeply affected Zhang Chengzhu, a man of temperament. He laughed and said loudly: "Okay! It turns out that a hero is born in a young man. It is not in vain that I, Zhang, get to know each other! Brother Xiaoyi and two fellow villagers
, I also leave a message today, otherwise won’t I let the brothers look down upon me? Haha! I won’t go into anything else, I will just say one thing, if you can win Wuhan before the end of the year, next time we meet, I will not only
I will give you three fine horses, and I am also willing to lead them and hold the whip for you!"
An Yi was overjoyed: "Is this true?"
"How can a man be a treacherous villain who talks nonsense? As long as the revolutionary army of a few brothers captures Wuhan, our Marshal Wu will probably go back to enjoy his family. Brother, I have a relationship with Zhang Huzi outside Guanwai, Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army
I can’t even pee in a pot, so unless I quit the military, is there any other choice?”
Zhang Chengzhu raised his thick eyebrows and changed his voice: "Since everyone is so happy, I also have something to say. If the three brothers are unfortunately captured by our soldiers, I hope that my name, Zhang Chengzhu, will be reported. Thanks to the brothers in my direct line for your support, I will give you
Brother Fool has a business name of "Xiao Zhang Fei". As long as he mentions the humble name, the brothers will give him some face. Then, brother, I will ride my horse to greet him personally, put out wine to welcome the wind, and sweep the bed to wait for him. From now on, the three brothers will submit.
How about working under my brother? Do you dare to accept this bet from me?"
Huzi and Yin Jinan were slightly startled, and they all looked at An Yi. An Yi laughed, then stood up and solemnly clasped his fists: "Then, I'm so presumptuous, I will boldly accept this bet from Brother Zhang on behalf of Huzi and Jinan
Oh! Anyway, I have been alone and careless since I was young. If I am captured, I will spend my whole life galloping around the land of Qilu with all the heroes of Yan and Zhao, and riding horses inside and outside the Great Wall. What harm will it do? Haha..."
"Okay! A gentleman's words..."
"It's hard to chase the horse!"
"Ha ha ha ha……"
Several brothers who had never known each other stood up proudly, clasped their fists in front of each other and laughed in unison. The brothers who had just slept under the trees sat up one after another, naked and looking at the superior in the bonfire in surprise.
and the burly bearded man who came back from prison.
Zhang Chengzhu's amputated adjutant came to the four of them at some unknown time. An Yi hurriedly greeted him, looked at his well-bandaged arm in a sling, nodded with satisfaction, and enthusiastically helped him sit on the stone:
"Brother Li, I'm sorry for you. If I had known this, I wouldn't dare offend you even if I shot myself. Haha...be careful...Jinan, I'm out of cigarettes. You can light one for Brother Li."
The adjutant waved his hand nonchalantly, looked at Zhang Chengzhu and smiled, indicating that everyone should sit down: "Brothers, I took a closer look. This group of brothers under you is not simple. They are orderly, help each other, and love each other. This shows your training.
It’s very effective, especially the dozens of brothers who serve as guards, they are all elite soldiers!”
An Yi smiled and suggested: "If it's inconvenient for the eldest brother, why not stay here to recover from his injuries? There will be no problem in terms of safety. Let's wait until the injury heals before leaving. We can also see how our eldest brother Zhang lost to the younger brothers.
Ha ha!"
Li Jinlong, a tall and thin adjutant in his early thirties, laughed: "I admire brother Xiaoyi's heroic spirit, but it is hard to believe that the revolutionary army will have such good luck. As my brother Chengzhu said, as long as you can defeat us, Marshal Wu, in Wuhan
We didn’t say a word to the more than 200,000 elite soldiers, but with the current combat power of the revolutionary army, it may be difficult to reach the sky! Haha... Thank you brothers for your hospitality. We will keep this friendship in our hearts. My injury can’t be counted.
What, there is no need to stay, we can meet each other someday if we are destined."
An Yi nodded without forcing it, took out his own gun, pulled out four full magazines and handed them to Zhang Chengzhu: "My brother's gun has no rifling, and there are not many bullets left. I don't have anything to say goodbye to my elder brother."
, please ask the elder brother to accept this gun... You're welcome, this gun is not issued by our army, but the younger brother bought it from an old friend of the German trading company before leaving Guangzhou to go north. This gun is good, it is two
German firearms masters carefully selected high-quality guns from hundreds of guns. The two eldest brothers may have a rough road. After Leiyang, they crossed Chaling as soon as possible and headed east. Please forgive me for not revealing too much about the reason.
So hurry up, brothers. Our third brother won’t leave you alone. I’ve asked my brothers to pack up the horses and luggage. Let’s set off after seeing that nothing is left behind.”
Zhang Chengzhu, who was moved in his heart, took the gun. He fumbled with it fondly for a moment and inserted it into the empty holster on his waist. He then took the magazine and stuffed it into the empty holster on his belt. He stood up and strode towards the six horses.
After a while of busy work, he hung the exquisite suitcase and two imported carbines on the two maroon horses that he was going to ride away. He led the shorter black horse in the middle to An Yi: "Brother Xiao Yi, this little horse
The foal is underage and is the son of the big black horse. It has been exhausted during this period, and its coat color and body shape are not eye-catching, but I think it is the best among the horses. Brother with a beard
Brothers and Jinan will take care of you, and they will definitely help you in the battlefield in the future. Take it, it will be a repayment for me!"
Zhang Chengzhu couldn't help but put the reins into An Yi's hands, turned to Hu Zi and Yin Jinan and smiled kindly: "You two fellows, I will also leave the other three horses for you. Even if they are not top-grade horses, I personally made them before I left my hometown.
Let’s accept the selected carbines as well as the carbines that have no bullets. Brother Jinlong and I will say goodbye for now. See you later!”
"Wait a minute! The young horse boy accepted it shamelessly, but the two eldest brothers have to take the bag of money with them. It will be needed on the road." After saying this, the careful Yin Jinan strode towards the group of horses.
Zhang Chengzhu grabbed him and said: "The more than one thousand yuan was rewarded by Ye Kaixin before setting off. Now there are only two of us left among the more than two hundred brothers. It makes me sad to keep it. I know that you engineers and soldiers are suffering very hard.
The clothes are full of holes, worse than our most inferior troops. If we stay, we can have a little more money, even if it is a little bit of our kindness. As long as I arrive in Jiangxi, with the banner of Marshal Wu and the old face of my brother, I can open my mouth.
I still have 800, but carrying it now is a burden. Okay, brother, I have to leave. I have something to remind you before leaving. When the two armies come into contact, we must be careful about our armored train. There are many things installed on it.
The heavy artillery is very powerful and can hit more than ten kilometers away. It can hit wherever it goes along the railway, so just be careful..."
Under the starry sky, An Yi and the others sent Zhang Chengzhu and Zhang Chengzhu to the roadside, and watched the two of them disappear at the end of the darkness before returning melancholy. An Yi walked to the little black horse, gently combed its mane and caressed it.
On his forehead, just like his own Chu'er, he whispered to it and kept nagging...